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Operations and admin

Employee onboarding plan (30/60/90)

Official

Official · updated Nov 4, 2026 · v1.0.0

Drafts a 30/60/90-day plan for a new hire: accounts and tools ready by day 1, week 1, people to meet, a buddy, a first deliverable, goals, and check-ins.

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When to use it

What you give it

What you get

A Markdown 30/60/90-day plan with a day-1 readiness table, week 1, people to meet, first deliverable, goals, and dated checkpoints.

The SKILL.md

---
name: employee-onboarding-plan
description: Drafts a 30/60/90-day onboarding plan for a new hire - what must be ready before day 1 (accounts, tools, equipment, paperwork), a first-week schedule, the people to meet and why, a buddy, a first deliverable, goals for each 30-day block, and manager check-ins. Use when someone is hiring, a new employee starts soon, a manager asks for an onboarding plan, a first-90-days plan, or a new hire checklist.
---

# Employee onboarding plan (30/60/90 days)

A new hire's first weeks shape how fast they become useful. SHRM's onboarding guide notes that a Gallup study found only 12% of employees felt their company did a great job of onboarding. The plan below makes day 1 work, gives the person a real first deliverable, and puts checkpoints on the calendar before they start.

## When to use

- A hire has accepted an offer and starts in the next few weeks.
- A manager asks for a "first 90 days plan", "onboarding checklist", or "what should they do in week 1?".
- An onboarding plan exists but is a list of trainings with no deliverable or check-ins.
- Not for HR and legal paperwork rules. Tax forms, right-to-work checks, contracts, and mandatory training vary by country and state; the plan lists them as "[check: local law / HR]" and doesn't say what is required.

## What you need

- Role title, team, manager, start date, and whether the person is remote, hybrid, or on-site. If any is missing, ask once, then mark "[confirm]".
- What success in the role looks like after 90 days. If missing, ask the manager: "What would make you say this hire was a great choice at day 90?"
- The tools and systems the role uses. If missing, list the standard set (email, chat, calendar, docs, password manager) and mark the rest "[add role tools]".
- Optional: the job post, the team's current priorities, and names of people the hire will work with.

## Steps

1. **List what must be ready before day 1.** Accounts, laptop and equipment, access to each tool, a calendar with week-1 meetings, and a buddy. SHRM's onboarding article advises setting up the desk, computer, and password logins before arrival and sending paperwork electronically before the start date. Give each item an owner and a "ready by" date, at least 2 working days before the start. Paperwork rules: "[check: local law / HR]".
2. **Plan the first day and week by the hour that matters.** Who greets them, the first meeting with the manager (role, expectations, how you'll work together), lunch or a social call, and a small task they can finish in week 1. SHRM's article: "Social interaction is critical."
3. **Pick the people to meet.** 5 to 10 names, each with why it matters ("Lena: approves every invoice you'll send"). Spread them across the first 3 weeks, not all on day 1. Assign one buddy who is not the manager. SHRM's onboarding guide recommends assigning mentors or buddies; its article cites a BambooHR study where 56% said a buddy or mentor was very important.
4. **Choose the first deliverable.** One real piece of work the person ships by around day 30, small enough to finish, visible enough that the team sees it. It should use the tools and people from steps 1 and 3. Our default: never "read the docs" or "shadow" as the deliverable.
5. **Set goals for each 30-day block.** Days 1–30 learn and ship the first deliverable; days 31–60 own a recurring piece of work; days 61–90 deliver against the role's 90-day success measure. 2 to 4 goals per block, each one checkable. This 30/60/90 split is our default; adjust the blocks for longer ramps.
6. **Put the checkpoints on the calendar.** A weekly 1:1 with the manager, and review conversations at day 30, 60, and 90 with the questions to ask. SHRM's article recommends a one-month check-in and another between 3 and 6 months. Each checkpoint asks the new hire for feedback too ("what's unclear? what's blocking you?").
7. **Note what happens after day 90.** SHRM's guide says onboarding can last up to 12 months. Name the next review date and what the manager keeps doing.
8. **Keep it fair and legal.** The plan covers the job. It never asks about or plans around protected characteristics (age, religion, disability, pregnancy, family status, and others). Accommodation requests go to HR, not into this plan.

## Output format

```markdown
# Onboarding plan — [name], [role]

**Start:** [date] · **Manager:** [name] · **Buddy:** [name] · **Where:** [remote / hybrid / on-site]  
**At day 90, success looks like:** [one or two sentences]

## Ready before day 1
| Item | Owner | Ready by |
|---|---|---|
| [account / tool / equipment / paperwork] | [name] | [date] |

## Week 1
| Day | What | With |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | [greeting, setup, manager meeting, lunch] | [names] |
| Days 2–5 | [meetings, small task] | [names] |

## People to meet
| Who | Why it matters | By |
|---|---|---|
| [name, role] | [one line] | [week] |

## First deliverable
[What they ship, by when, who reviews it.]

## Goals
| Block | Goals (checkable) |
|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | [goal] |
| Days 31–60 | [goal] |
| Days 61–90 | [goal] |

## Checkpoints
- **Weekly:** 1:1 with [manager], [day]
- **Day 30 / 60 / 90:** [date] — [questions for the hire and the manager]
- **After day 90:** [next review date]

## For HR to confirm
- [paperwork, mandatory training, policies] [check: local law / HR]
```

## Example

**Input:** "Kofi Mensah joins as our first customer success manager on 2 June, remote. Manager is Hana (COO). He'll own onboarding for new accounts. Tools: Gmail, Slack, Notion, Intercom, our CRM. At 90 days I want him running onboarding calls for all new accounts alone and our 10 biggest accounts to know him. Buddy could be Ravi from sales."

**Output:**

```markdown
# Onboarding plan — Kofi Mensah, customer success manager

**Start:** 2 June · **Manager:** Hana (COO) · **Buddy:** Ravi (sales) · **Where:** remote  
**At day 90, success looks like:** Kofi runs every new account's onboarding call alone, and the 10 biggest accounts have met him.

## Ready before day 1
| Item | Owner | Ready by |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop shipped and delivery confirmed | Hana | 28 May |
| Gmail, Slack, Notion, Intercom, CRM accounts | Hana | 29 May |
| Week-1 meetings on his calendar | Hana | 29 May |
| Contract and payroll forms sent electronically | Hana | 26 May [check: local law / HR] |

## Week 1
| Day | What | With |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Welcome call; setup check; 1-hour meeting on role and expectations; virtual lunch | Hana, Ravi |
| Days 2–5 | Watch 3 recorded onboarding calls; meet people below; answer 5 Intercom tickets with Ravi reviewing | Ravi, Hana |

## People to meet
| Who | Why it matters | By |
|---|---|---|
| Ravi, sales | Hands over each new account after the deal closes | Week 1 |
| [name], product | Takes the bugs and requests customers raise | Week 1 |
| [name], whoever owns the 10 biggest accounts today | Has the history with those accounts | Week 2 |
| [name], billing | Answers billing questions customers ask | Week 2 |

## First deliverable
By 30 June: a one-page onboarding checklist for new accounts, used on at least 2 real onboarding calls. Hana reviews it.

## Goals
| Block | Goals (checkable) |
|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | Ship the onboarding checklist; sit in on 4 onboarding calls; answer Intercom tickets daily |
| Days 31–60 | Run onboarding calls with Hana listening; meet 5 of the 10 biggest accounts |
| Days 61–90 | Run all new onboarding calls alone; meet the other 5 biggest accounts |

## Checkpoints
- **Weekly:** 1:1 with Hana, Mondays
- **Day 30 / 60 / 90:** 2 July, 1 August, 31 August — What's working? What's unclear? What's blocking you? Are the goals still right?
- **After day 90:** 6-month review, 2 December

## For HR to confirm
- Contract, payroll and tax forms, and any mandatory training for his location [check: local law / HR]
```

## Checks before you send

- [ ] Every day-1 item has an owner and a "ready by" date before the start date.
- [ ] The first deliverable is real work with a date and a reviewer, not reading or shadowing.
- [ ] Each 30-day block has 2 to 4 goals someone could check yes or no.
- [ ] Checkpoint dates are on the calendar, and each one asks the hire for feedback.
- [ ] Legal and paperwork items say "[check: local law / HR]" and don't state what the law requires.
- [ ] Nothing refers to protected characteristics.

## Common mistakes

- An empty calendar on day 1. The manager's first meeting is on the calendar before the start date.
- A plan made only of trainings. People ramp by doing real work with feedback.
- Making the manager the buddy. The buddy is someone the hire can ask the "silly" questions.

Download SKILL.md

Changelog

Sources

  1. SHRM: Complete Employee Onboarding Guide (2026-11-04)
  2. SHRM: New Hire Integration: Start Here When Onboarding a New Employee (2026-11-04)

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